DISCLAIMER: The information herein is provided by the respective agency and is only as accurate and as up-to-date as the agency representative(s) update this information. PST is not responsible for the veracity of this data as it is provided directly from the agency. It is ultimately the applicant's responsibility to verify any information about the agency with the agency.

Lynden Police Department

The Lynden Civil Service Commission will be establishing eligibility lists for the positions of Lateral and Entry Level Police Officers.

Lateral Applicants: Please visit our website at www.lyndenwa.org/employment for further information.

Entry Level: Candidates must have the written, physical, and personal history statement completed by the March 3, 2018 closing date.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have any questions or concerns regarding the disqualifiers, please contact the Lynden Police Department at 360-354-2828 and ask to speak to Acting Chief John Billester.

Contact Information

Lynden Police Department
203 19th ST
Lynden, Washington 98264
Phone: 360-354-2828
Department Website

Agency Added: 09/23/2016 | Last updated: 02/01/2018

Community Information

The City of Lynden is located in the northwest corner of Whatcom County, Washington and covers 2,912 acres (4.55 square miles). The City of Lynden is the second largest city in Whatcom County behind Bellingham. Located on a bluff above the fertile Nooksack River valley, it is between two of North America’s most attractive metropolitan centers only one hour south of Vancouver, B.C. and two hours north of Seattle.

Lynden is a city of just under 13,000 people, located in the mild climate of northwest Washington, just four miles south of the Canadian border and 15 miles north of Bellingham. The natural beauty of Mt. Baker and the San Juan Islands, plus the metropolitan attractions of Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., are within a short drive. Located about 4 miles south of the Canadian Border, agriculture provides a major employment base. The city has some industrial development land and a regional airport. Lynden is the site of an 18 hole golf course, strong Public and Private K-12 school systems and a thriving downtown business district including a new hotel. So much of what Lynden is today comes from the hard work and high standards of those who settled early in Lynden in the late 1880’s. Lynden has a legacy of self-reliance and citizens that are dedicated to the community. Lynden is known as a great place to raise a family – a reputation enhanced by its abundance of churches.

You can also refer to http://www.lyndenwa.org/ for more information.

Department Information

Our department currently has 15 commissioned officers. Of those officers, we have a Chief, Lieutenant, 2 Sergeants, 1 Detective, 10 patrol officers and 1 Code Enforcement Officer. We also employ 2 records Support Staff and 1 Supervising Support Services Manager. In addition, we currently have 1 reserve officer, 2 clerical volunteers and up to 8 senior volunteers who work within our Senior Traffic And Residential Security (STARS) program. Specialty positions include, Detective, Field Training Officer, and Firearms Instructor. There are a few expected retirements in the upcoming year, and there is an expected additional officer in the 2018 proposed budget. Lynden is a more traditional small town with community policing at its core. One detective handles all felony cases and some misdemeanor crimes. Bike patrol is also available to interested officers.

The Northwest Washington Fair commences in the middle of August each year with approximately 30,000 people visiting from all over the northwest and Canada for the six day event.

Area Information

County: Whatcom
Population: 13,380
# of Staff: 15 sworn Officers

Agency Requirements:

Important Information

The Lynden Civil Service Commission will be establishing eligibility lists for the positions of Lateral and Entry Level Police Officers.

Lateral Applicants: Please visit our website at www.lyndenwa.org/employment for further information.

Entry Level: Candidates must have the written, physical, and personal history statement completed by the March 3, 2018 closing date.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have any questions or concerns regarding the disqualifiers, please contact the Lynden Police Department at 360-354-2828 and ask to speak to Acting Chief John Billester.

Category	Requirement	Required at time of..
Category	Requirement	Test	Hire
US Citizen/Lawful Permanent Resident	US Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident.	X
High School Grad/ GED	High school graduates only.
Driver's License Required	Yes	X
Felony Conviction(s) as an Adult	No felony convictions - Automatic disqualifier
Felony Conviction(s) as a Juvenile	No felony convictions - Automatic disqualifier
Ability to Read & Write the English Language	Yes	X
Vision Requirements	Per LEOFF requirement.
College Requirement	No
Basic Law Enforcement Academy Certification	Successful Completion after hire.
Other	This agency does not allow Out of State Testing.
Multiple Scores from Same Applicant	We consider all the scores from the same applicant
Request/ Access Scores	On an as-needed basis as vacancies occur

Agency Disqualifiers:

THE FOLLOWING ARE AUTOMATIC AND POTENTIAL DISQUALIFIERS. APPLICANTS SHOULD NOT APPLY TO OUR AGENCY IF THEY INDICATE ANY OF THE AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFIERS. POTENTIAL DISQUALIFIERS WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.

Category

Disqualifier

Driving

Automatic	1 or more traffic crime convictions in last 5 years (DWI, Suspended, Reckless, etc.).
Automatic	Suspension of driver's license within past 5 years.
Automatic	3 or more moving violations in past 3 years.
Automatic	2 or more at-fault accidents in past 3 years.
Automatic	No at fault collisions where applicant was uninsured within the past 5 years

Drug Usage

Automatic	Illegal drug substance usage or exposure within past 7 years.
Automatic	Illegal use of illegal drugs in the last 7 years.
Automatic	Illegal use of ANY controlled substance while employed in a criminal justice capacity.
Automatic	Illegal opiate use.
Automatic	A candidate will be automatically disqualified if they have ever used any type of Hallucinogenic drug.
Automatic	Illegal use of 2 or more different controlled substances.
Potential	Other drug use outside these standards will be considered on case by case basis.
Automatic	No illegal sale of ANY drug, including marijuana.
Automatic	Pattern of illegal use of prescription medication.
Automatic	Any use of marijuana in the past 5 years.

Criminal Activity

Automatic	Any adult felony conviction.
Automatic	Any misdemeanor, or felony conviction while employed in a criminal justice capacity.
Potential	Adult misdemeanor convictions will be carefully reviewed.
Potential	Juvenile felony conviction will be carefully reviewed.
Automatic	Been convicted of any crime under a domestic violence statue.
Automatic	Unlawful sexual misconduct.
Potential	Any previously undetected criminal activity discovered during the testing process will be carefully reviewed.

Employment

Automatic	2 or more terminations, or leaving employer in lieu of termination.
Automatic	Withdrawn from consideration for any (law enforcement/fire/corrections/dispatch) employment because of the following reasons: Dishonesty, Pending criminal charges.
Automatic	Been dishonorably discharged from the United States armed forces.
Automatic	Lied during any stage of the hiring process.
Automatic	Falsified his or her application, personal history questionnaire, or any other forms during hiring process.
Automatic	Previous revocation or denial of (CJTC/POST) certified status, or suspension of current (CJTC/POST) certified status.
Potential	Instances of detected or undetected employee theft will be carefully reviewed.

Financial

Automatic	Failure to pay income tax or child support.
Potential	Current credit accounts, or unresolved accounts in collection will be carefully reviewed.

Other

Potential

Illegal sexual activity will be carefully reviewed.

Current Hiring Status

The Lynden Civil Service Commission will be establishing eligibility lists for the positions of Lateral and Entry Level Police Officers.
Lateral Applicants: Please visit our website at www.lyndenwa.org/employment for further information.
Entry Level: Candidates must have the written, physical, and personal history statement completed by the March 3, 2018 closing date.

Salary Information

$5,167 - $6,723 per month, plus benefits and incentive pay.

Benefit Information

Benefits include health, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage for the employee, spouse and dependents with minimal employee contribution. Employees receive vacation, sick leave, holidays, and retirement benefits.